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ON-LOAN Everton midfielder Ross Barkley has won Sheffield Wednesday’s Player of the Month award for October by a landslide.

And the young midfielder has credited former Everton defender Dave Jones, now Hillsborough boss, for the progress he has made in Yorkshire.

Barkley scored his fourth goal in just 10 appearances for The Owls against Peterborough on Saturday, but more importantly feels that his game is progressing from the experience he has gained playing regular football in The Championship.

“I have followed the career of Dave Jones for a long time, to when he was at Cardiff.

“He’s a Scouser from the same area as me so I have always taken an interest in his career. I was made up when I found out he was interested in bringing me to Wednesday.

“I have really enjoyed my time here so far. I feel as if I have made a lot of progress and that is the most important thing.

“The manager and the coaching staff talk to me all the time and that’s a great help. I am playing regular football at a good level in the Championship so I am really pleased with how things are going.”

After an inauspicious start to his loan spell – Wednesday lost the first four matches he featured in – The Owls have now won back to back games against Ipswich and Peterborough, with Barkley scoring twice at Portman Road and a clinical finish last Saturday against Posh.

“We have just come out of a bad run of results with two wins but I was always confident we would start winning games again,” he added.

“There are some really good players here and I’m enjoying playing with them. I wouldn’t like to pick out any individuals because everything we do is a team effort.

“I’m taking things one step at a time and we will see what happens from here. I see my future in the long term with Everton but right now, I am enjoying my football and the experience I am getting with Sheffield Wednesday.”

Wednesday’s experienced Portuguese star, Jose Semedo, has been Barkley’s midfield partner and has been enormously impressed by the young Blues star.

“He’s a top player,” said Semedo. “He’s going to be one of the best midfield players in England within a few years.

“You can see he wants the ball all the time; he wants to play; he wants to be involved in attacking play, and he can run back and defend.”

“It makes my job easier: when he gets the ball he wants to go forward if we are attacking, I am resting, waiting to defend afterwards!

“Ross is looking more for the goal, for the spectacular things, and to take players on.

On his Player of the Month award, Barkley said: “Any award is great but coming from the fans makes it all the more special.”

* DAVID JONES made more than 100 appearances for Everton between 1974 and 1979, including the League Cup Final at Wembley against Aston Villa in 1977.

He scored two goals – both memorable – a last minute winner in an FA Cup tie against Swindon Town in Gordon Lee’s first match as Everton manager and another matchwinning goal against Arsenal later that season.

He moved to Coventry City for £275,000 but only made 11 league appearances before sustaining a serious knee injury.

His first managerial role was at Southport, where he was assistant boss to Bryan Griffiths in 1986–87 before they both left and took up identical roles at Mossley for the 1988–89 season.

He was Stockport County boss when they gave Joe Royle’s FA Cup holders a scare, drawing 2-2 at Goodison Park before just being edged out in an Edgeley Park replay 3-2.